Automatic switch-throwing, track sanding and sweeping device.



S. A. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH THROWING, TRACK SANDING, AND SWEEPING DEVICE.APILIUATION FILED MAR. 5, 1908.

920,066, Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

WTIVESSES: NVENTO/B.

MAMA www TN: NoRRIs PETER: cn., WASHINGTON. D4 c.

SQUIRE A. JOHNSON, OF GROGAN, O'HlO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-THROWING, TRACK SANDING- AND SWEEPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 27', 1909.

Application led March 5, 1908. Serial No. li19,331.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, SQUrnn A. JonNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grogan, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio', haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Switch-Throwing, Track Sanding andSweeping Device, a description of which follows.

The invention is intended to throw switches, enabling cars to run in anydirection without loss of time, or risk of failure, at the will of themotorman or engineer; also to sweep and sand the track when desired,preventing useless waste of power and wear of machinery and providingsafety and comfort to the passengers.

The entire device is operated by two levers attached to a singlecontrolling shaft.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a front view of theinvention; Fig. 2 shows a cross section at point indicated; Fig. 3represents a lateral view; Fig. 4 `gives view from directly beneathlooking up 5 Fig. represents an end view of the switch attachment; Fig.6 is a lateral view of same.

In the drawings, a. is a hollow shaft supported by a stirrup l).

c is a foot piece attached to a rod passing through the hollow shaft a,seen at d.

e is a coiled spring inside the shaft c, supported by a hollow pipe f,which in turn rests on the stirrup l).

g is a handle or lever attached by a key or set screw to the shaft a.

h is a chain fastened at its center to the shaft a, one end of whichattaches to a spring-governed bar, operating the brooms; the other endattaches to a springgovcrned slide in the sand box.

is a hollow bar resting on the coiled spring e and extending to the topof the rod d, to which it is attached by means of the handle or lever j,which operates the foot piece c.

k is a metal collar around the shaft a where it passes through the carfloor.

l and Z are notched posts on which the foot piece catches when set tothrow a switch.

m and m show attachment of stirrup b to the joists of the car.

n and 'It' show the attachment of the posts l and Z to the joists of thecar.

o is a bar attached to the switch point and extending between the railswith the post p at its inner end, which is operated by the foot piece c.

A hollow iron shaft passes through the floor of the car at the right ofthe motor-man and rests on a stirrup fastened to the joists. A post'passing down through this shaft and stirrup has, at its lower end, afoot piece, the forward end of which bends upward, forming a sort ofhook. This post and foot piece are supported by a coiled spring betweentwo hollow pipes inside the shaft, the lower one of which rests on thestirrup, and the upper one of which is attached at its top by means of ahandle and set screw to the post; this handle operates the switchthrowing device. By pressing down on the handle and turning to one side,the foot piece catches on a notched post, fastened to the bottom of thecar for the purpose, and is held in place by the lifting of the springuntil released by the post at the inner end of the switch bar after theswitch has been thrown.

To the switch point is attached a bar extending to a point between therails that is exactly beneath the center of the shaft on the car. Theinner end of this switch bar is surmounted by a post normally extendingabove the surface of the rails but capable of being depressed to thelevel of the surface and inimediately returning to normal when pressurehas been removed. If it is desired to go to the right, the handle ispressed down and pulled to the left; this points the foot piece to theright and the front end of it passes to the right of the post on switchbar. As the car advances, the foot piece comes in contact with the postand pushes it to the left, thus pulling the switch point over andopening the track to the right. As the car passes on, the heel of thefoot piece comes in contact with the post on switch bar and, as it canbe pushed no farther, is itself pushed to the right, thus liberating thefoot piece, which immediately rises to its original position and isready to be used again. Reversing this operation turns the car to theleft or keeps it on the main track, as desired.

Two brooms, suspended on hinges attached to the truck over the rails andconnected by a bar, are held away from the rails by a spring. Anotherspring holds in place a slide, covering the orifice in a sand box placedon the frame work of the truck immediately in front of one wheel. Asmall handle, attached by a key or set screw to the shaft, operates thebrooms and sand box by means of a chain fastened at its centerl to theshaft and at one end to the slide in the sand box; at the other to a barcontrolling the hinges, to which the brooms are attached. Turning thehandle one Way opens the sand box and sands the tracks 5 turning it theother way lowers the brooms and sweeps the tracks; leaving it at rest,both are inoperative.

I know that a device having a curved rod with a transverse enlargementat its lower end, supported by a tl readed washer and coiled spring, hasbeen used before and l do Ilot claim this. And know that a deviceoperated by a sort of tumbling` shalt and two arms has been used to pusha block attached to the switch point, and I do not claim this.

I do claim I Y In a device for operating switch throwing,

track sanding and sweeping device, a foot piece attached to a straightbar, supported by a coiled spring and hollow pipe resting on a stirrupbeneath the car, capable of being set and held in place by one of twonotched posts, suitably placed in such a manner as, acting on adepressible post at the inner end ol a bar attached to the switch point,to automatically throw the switch in the direction desired; and theattachment thereto of a track sanding and sweeping ydevice allsubstantially as set forth.

S. A. JGHNSON. TWitnesses:

C. A. lroMAs, FANNIE L. ADAMs.

